I have had today planned since early March 2019. Christian and I were supposed to be at Disney World. More specifically, at Hollywood Studios celebrating Star Wars Day in Galaxy's Edge.  When the opening date of Galaxy's Edge was announced my friends and I planned a trip for November 2019. Christian couldn't come because of work so I decided I would buy an annual pass and we would go again within a year. We decided on early May to coincide with Star Wars Day (May the 4th) and Mother's Day so we could have his Mom come along for a few days.

At the beginning of this March I knew we wouldn't be able to go due to coronavirus. I still held on to my reservations (dining, fast passes, even our special tours) until Disney cancelled them automatically because I needed that sliver of hope to get by. We were supposed to arrive at Disney early yesterday. Instead, we woke up in our own bed.


Even though we won't be at one of my favorite places, we are still going to make the best of everything. We have our health, as do our other family members & friends, and we know Disney will reopen eventually and we can go when it is safe to do so.

Back in the day I used to watch every Star Wars movie on May 4th. Now there are far too many so I pick & choose and do my best to get through them all! Since we're both still working we decided to start yesterday with the best films - the original trilogy. I also watched Rogue One on my own when Christian tired of the marathon. I will continue watching today while working (Christian works in another room.)

What Order to Watch the Movies In

Everyone has an opinion on the best way to watch the Star Wars movies. You can watch them chronologically, release order, with TV shows included OR Machete Order which cuts out The Phantom Menace, which many deem unworthy.  If I was having a first timer watch - and they have survived without spoilers this long - I would have them do it in almost release order. (Though I do enjoy Machete order, but I put in Phantom Menace)

1. Star Wars: A New Hope
2. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
3. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
4. flashback to Rogue One (the fandom is divided on this film, I love it.)
5. flashback even further to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
6. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
7. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
8. flash forward to Star Wars: The Force Awakens
9. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (ugh...)
10. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
11. flashback to Solo: A Star Wars Story

Everything is on Disney+, except Solo is on Netflix for a few more months.

What Else to Watch

• The Mandalorian on Disney+: Even if you aren't a Star Wars fan this series is amazing! The cinematography is breathtaking and the story is fun.
• Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian: A documentary series on the making of The Mandalorian - it's brand new as of today! I have to wait until after work to watch the first episode with Christian. After today a new episode will be released each Friday.
• Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy: A documentary on the original Star Wars trilogy.
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars: An animated TV show. I haven't watched this myself yet, I know...shame on me, but lots of friends recommend it! 

For our celebrations I donned the Star Wars pajamas I bought back in 2015 and we had popcorn in old movie theater soda cups from other Star Wars movies. Wish I had more of them but my siblings and I divided them up, ha ha!

Other Fun Activities

• Play Star Wars video games - there are plenty.
• Do a Star Wars puzzle

Star Wars Baked Goods

If you like to bake, why not whip up a fun Star Wars treat!

• Blue Milk Pudding
• Chewie Chews & Blue Milk
• Ackbar Snackbar
• Yoda Pancakes
• Rey's Portion Bread
• More Official Star Wars Recipes

Forever 21 May the Force Be With You Pajama Top, Forever 21 Trust Me I'm a Jedi Pajama Pants, Sphero BB-8 (he can watch the movies with you and react!)

I received 2 pieces from a brand last month and was waiting to share them until this month since I was supposed to do a blog post featuring them. However, that post has now been postponed due to COVD-19. It will probably be a bit before you see them in an outfit post and I wanted to share them! AUrate is still shipping items with a very stringent policy on how to keep everything safe.


THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

MY PROGRESS 

Clothes:

1. FARM Rio Amazonian Ombre Mini Wrap Dress c/o Shopbop ($127.50, retail $170)
   

Basics:

1. J Brand 811 Mid Rise Skinny Leg Jean in Moral ($0 after $25 credit & ad money, retail $228)

Shoes:

1. Ancient Greek Sandals 'Clara' Sandal c/o Shopbop ($221.25, retail $295)
2. Sperry Rio Aqua Slip-On Sneaker ($14.83 via DSW, retail $64.99)

Accessories:

1. Ray Ban 'Erika' Sunglasses in Havana c/o Shopbop (retail $163)
2. Madewell Medium Slim Saddle Bag c/o Shopbop ($118.50, retail $158)

Gifted from Brands:

1. *NEW!* AUrate Pearl Studs in Rose Gold (retail $150)
2. *NEW!* AUrate Medium Chain Bracelet in Rose Gold (retail $50)

Total spent in April: $0

Total spent in 2020: $14.83

Since I haven't been taking new outfit photos lately I thought I would bring back an old blog series - Favorite Things - and feature some pieces I can't imagine living without.  These Miu Miu leopard sandals were one of my first designer splurges back in 2011. They were part of the Fall 2010 collection and I was low key obsessed for a while before I purchased them.

I first posted about them in October 2011 but had been in love since I saw them on Net-a-Porter at their full price of $795 - YIKES! Even before that blog post I had an eBay alert set up for months to find them. I finally found them in my size in November 2011 and splurged $400 (I think) on them. Still a crazy price to pay but every time I see them in my closet they bring me joy so I think it was worth it, even 9 years later.

They are brown and black leopard print calf hair sandals with a 6 inch heel and a 2 inch platform. Basically a dream for a short girl like me. I look SO TALL in them! Especially in super skinny jeans.  I used to wear them once a week when I was working in an office but since I started working from home in 2014 they've been more of an art piece in my closet brought out for special occasions.

Shop them:


Here are some past outfits featuring my Miu Miu leopard sandals.

Say Goodbye Burgundy Leather Pants

Revisiting October 29 2013

Revisiting May 9 2013

Clinton Crossing Spring Fashion Preview

Movado and Lucky Magazine Arm Candy Party

From the Boys

Thanksgiving Number 2

Date Night

Wild Thing

Merry Little Stroll

LuckyFABB Day 1

The Boyfriend

The Fool on the Hill

KARL for Net-a-Porter Launch

Christmas Celebrations

Pop of Leopard

If you're anything like me during this period of self-isolation you're getting a little stir crazy being inside all day.  I haven't left my house in 3 weeks, the last time I ventured out I didn't leave the car. I tagged along as Christian went to a garden store to buy some soil for our vegetable garden. So technically it's been 4 weeks since I went out in public.

I'm a big movie watcher, as evidenced by my movies seen list, so that's how I've been spending a lot of my free time outside work.  When I say movie watcher I don't necessarily mean I'm seeing every movie that's released. I'm picky with my genres and I enjoy going through old movies to watch the classic actors. But I won't be watching many scary movies or thrillers.

TCM is a great source for watching older movies. Luckily I can use my parents cable login to use TCM's ROKU TV app. You can also use PlutoTV for free and numerous other smart TV apps (Tubi, Roku Channel, etc.)

If there's a movie you're interested in make sure to check for it on JustWatch, it shows where the movie is currently available for streaming. Sadly it doesn't include some of those free apps.

Today I'm going to share some movies that never fail to cheer me up when I'm feeling down.  This list won't include Disney movies because the list would never end.  It also doesn't include some of my favorite series like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars because those aren't exactly "feel good" movies, haha. I'm trying not to share too many so this list isn't fully complete.

I'm sure you've seen a bunch of these already, but that's the point, they're movies you can come back to time and again for comfort.

The Princess Bride (1987)

I could watch this movie every day and never get bored. You would think with a name like The Princess Bride it would be a chick flick, but this movie is loved by men and women alike. My whole family is obsessed with this movie and we quote it often. Do yourself a favor and watch it if you've never seen it. And read the book! The author wrote the screenplay so it's surprisingly accurate.

A Knight's Tale (2001)

Ahh, Heath Ledger. This is my favorite of his films, so endearing! (Although he's amazing in The Dark Knight as well.) I remember the first time I watched this I was at a sleepover with my sister and our two friends and I didn't want to watch because it sounded stupid and I didn't like the picture on the box. Boy how wrong I was!

Little Women (1994)

A classic if there ever was one, Little Women always soothes my soul. My sister and I had the biggest crushes on Christian Bale in this movie when we were young. Now that I'm older I'm in love with the soundtrack. (The new Greta Gerwig version is also really good, but this one remains my favorite of the film adaptions. Not a huge fan of the 2 super old ones)

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

You can't go wrong with Jane Austen. This movie is so beautifully shot with an amazing soundtrack it's hard to not fall in love. (Funnily enough, this trailer uses a bit of a song from Little Women! Only for a quick moment, but as I said, I love that soundtrack so it was easy to pick out)

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997)

There are so many versions of Cinderella out there, this is by far one of my favorites. The cast, the songs, the costumes! Perfection. You won't stop singing the songs after you watch. I still remember watching this for the first time in my living room in 1997. It aired on a Saturday night as one of ABC's "Wonderful World of Disney" movies.

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

I can't mention I like classic movies without putting one on this list. Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant star in this comedy involving a leopard that still makes me laugh every time. One time I even counted how many times Susan says "David" in the movie and shared it on Instagram. (Spoiler alert: it's 168)

You've Got Mail (1998)

I have to include a Meg Ryan movie! You've Got Mail has to be my favorite. Who didn't dream of finding love through AOL back in the day? It could go horribly wrong, but in this movie it all goes right (mostly, hah!)

Honorable Mentions

• Clue (1985)
• Ever After (1998) 
• Some Like it Hot (1959)
• The Holiday (2006)
• It's Complicated (2009)
• Kate & Leopold (2001)
• The Proposal (2009)
• Romancing the Stone (1984)

It was a big shopping month in terms of items added to my closet. Luckily the out of pocket cost wasn't large. As I shared earlier this month, I finally took the leap and replaced my Ray Ban Erika sunglasses with part of my Shopbop partnership credit. I also bought a few new things for the warmer weather during their Spring Event.

Long story about another purchase below:

I ran some errands with my mom earlier in the month and we stopped at DSW. I tried on a few pairs of breathable, thin sneakers (because I don't own any) and liked a pair by Sperry but they were $65. It's really hard for me to find sneakers I like because they all feel too bulky. I don't mind that in the case of my crazy custom Nike ID's but those aren't really athletic wear, more of a fashion statement. There's also my purple Puma's but those aren't exactly versatile either.

When I got home I added them to my cart and searched for some coupon codes and found a 20% off plus a $10 reward I had. Then my mom offered me the rest of a gift card she had so they came out to under $15! I'd say that's worth a purchase! I was hoping to wear them to Disney in May (one of the activities we're doing requires closed toe, walk-able shoes) but I fear that trip will be cancelled due to COVID-19. 

April will definitely be very light on the shopping because of our stay safe at home orders. I am trying not to buy anything unnecessary that will put more pressure on postal/package workers.

THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

MY PROGRESS 

Clothes:

1. *NEW!* FARM Rio Amazonian Ombre Mini Wrap Dress c/o Shopbop ($127.50, retail $170)
   

Basics:

1. J Brand 811 Mid Rise Skinny Leg Jean in Moral ($0 after $25 credit & ad money, retail $228)

Shoes:

1. *NEW!* Ancient Greek Sandals 'Clara' Sandal c/o Shopbop ($221.25, retail $295)
2. *NEW!* Sperry Rio Aqua Slip-On Sneaker ($14.83 via DSW, retail $64.99)

Accessories:

1. *NEW!* Ray Ban 'Erika' Sunglasses in Havana c/o Shopbop (retail $163)
2. *NEW!* Madewell Medium Slim Saddle Bag c/o Shopbop ($118.50, retail $158)

Gifted from Brands:

1. none yet

Total spent in March: $14.83

Total spent in 2020: $14.83

In light of COVID-19 its a bit hard to share outfits on the blog so I thought I would share some of my favorite things to cook!  I'm by no means a food blogger so these won't be full on professional recipes, but I hope they will still be helpful!

We only buy our meat on sale, so when we can get something for $1.99 a pound or less we pounce! This means we eat a lot of chicken, pork and sausages.

First up, I'll share one of our favorite easy meals: suasages and orzo!

Instead of just cooking the sausages whole and serving over rice I started to take them out of their casings and break them into pieces.  I like orzo because it cooks quick and you can flavor it with pretty much anything you like. To finish it off I usually use onions and peppers but sometimes we'll opt for roasted broccoli if we don't have the other items on hand.

I'll try to get Christian to take some in-progress photos next time we make this, but I wanted to get a blog post up since I haven't in a while so these will have to do! 

Sausage & Orzo with Peppers and Onions

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Servings: 4+ depending on your appetite

Ingredients:

• 4 Italian Sausage Links (hot or sweet)
• 1 cup Orzo
• 1 Onion (any kind)
• 3-4 Small Sweet Peppers (or more if you want)
• optional: bouillon

Supplies:

• Large Skillet (I use: Rachael Ray Hard Porcelain Enamel Nonstick 12.5-In Skillet in Marine Blue)
• Small Pot (for orzo)

Instructions:

1. Cut up onion and peppers into small dices
2. Remove sausage from casing and break up into smaller pieces, place into a bowl
3. Pre-cook onions and peppers and place to the side
4. Boil some water in a small pot and cook the orzo according to box (I add chicken flavored Better than Bouillon to the water to add a little extra flavor)
5. Heat pan on medium high and cook sausages until browned and mostly cooked through, breaking them up a little more.
6. Add onions and peppers and continue to cook on a lower heat
7. Once orzo has cooked add it to the skillet and mix together

Optional: You can add any other seasoning you like. Occasionally I'll add minced garlic and some random herbs but I usually keep this super simple and don't add anything. There is already a lot of flavor in the sausages so I find it doesn't need much else.

Broccoli Option: Roast broccoli in 425 degree oven with olive oil, salt and pepper until browned  (we like ours REALLY dark)

Here are some examples where I just chopped up sausages. This was how I started making this dish, then I realized you get more bang - or bites - for your buck by breaking up the sausages into smaller pieces.

How to Freeze Peppers & Onions

Before all this virus stuff got really crazy Christian and I bought a little more than our usual amount of onions and sweet peppers. Normally I just buy what we need for a week or two so they don't go bad.  Since we got our extra freezer I decided to start freezing them so we would have them ready at the drop of a hat and would last longer.

The process is pretty simple:

1. Cut onions and peppers to your desired shapes (I did small chunks as well as thin slices)
2. Place on a cookie tray and flash freeze for about an hour until fully frozen
3. Move into plastic bags or reusable containers - I used old Talenti ice cream jars that we cleaned since they're plastic and have a nice twist on cover.
4. Mark the storage container with the date you froze them on

Since Christian and I didn't get out to take photos this weekend I thought I'd bring back my How I Wore It series. We're headed into Spring so I'm focusing on florals and bright colors.

Hopefully we'll go for a walk this weekend so I can take some outfit pictures for next week. I'm not a huge fan of taking pictures in front of our house (don't want the neighbors to think I'm a weirdo) so not sure I'll want to take them at home. But we'll see how desperate I become!

I hope everyone is staying as safe as possible during all this Coronavirus craziness. Christian has been on high alert since January so luckily we were stocked up on food before the national freakout the past couple weeks.  At this point all anyone can do is stay away from people as much as possible. Luckily I already work from home so I will be trying not to leave the house, except perhaps for walks, for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately Christian still has to go to the office, even though they have the ability to work from home. Hopefully his boss allows that soon.